An injury to City captain Kevin De Bruyne was the only sour note from the opening-day win over Burnley. Manchester City would begin their Premier League campaign with a comfortable 3-nil win.
The Belgian midfielder limped off around the 20-minute mark of the first half. It was later revealed by Pep Guardiola to be a recurrence of the hamstring injury he suffered in last season’s Champions League final. After coming back earlier than expected from the initial injury, it is a setback for De Bruyne.
City boss Pep Guardiola spoke about the injury his star man suffered post-game. When asked about the injury, Pep was disappointed to lose De Bruyne. He went on to say: “It’s the hamstring again. Same position. I don’t know how long he will be out it depends on the magnitude of the injury but it will be a few weeks out.”
The City boss would add: “Of course, he’s down because he fought a lot. He felt really good and I spoke with him. He wanted to start. To play for 45 minutes was the idea. Maybe it was a mistake. But when someone is injured after 15-20 minutes, it’s not about that, it’s about something wrong. If it happened after 60-65 minutes it could be fatigue of the muscle. We have to talk with the doctor and with him. He has to free his mind and he’ll be back for sure.”
Another hamstring injury caps a frustrating beginning to the season for Kevin De Bruyne. City’s midfield maestro looked good upon his return against Arsenal last weekend, and the early signs were positive before he hobbled off against Burnley. Another spell on the sidelines looms as City prepare for the European Super Cup against Sevilla.
